Wednesday, July 31, 2013

On the ski slopes of Montana, deception turns deadly and seduction becomes more hypnotic than jewels.

Reagan McKinney is on a mission to discover more about a deceased uncle who mysteriously left her a sizable inheritance, a condo in the mountains, and a stash of stolen jewels. With both her graphic design career and her love life in shambles, the opportunity to begin a new life couldn’t have come at a better time. When she becomes involved with the sexy FBI agent next door, she finds her struggle is not only to keep her heart intact, but her life.

Grief stricken after an undercover investigation ends in the tragic death of his partner, FBI Agent Garret Chambers goes home to find solace in the arms of his mountain home. That is, until his boss assigns him to investigate the spirited brunette staying in the condo next door. He is assigned to investigate Reagan’s involvement with a large jewel fencing organization, but his investigation becomes comprised when his attraction to her heats up. Will his discovery destroy everything he has come to love, including Reagan?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

Garret blinked, slowly, and she watched his chest rise and fall. “Did you know something about Kyle?”

She threw her boot at him. He caught it. She cursed.

“I knew he was a dirty cheating slime ball. Just like you.” Reagan tugged on her socks and her knee-high boot, tightening the lace in record speed. Standing, she marched to him and seized the other from his grasp, refusing to look at him. Her balance teetered as she tried to slip it on, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her helplessness. She braced one hand on the wall as she loosened the lace and lugged on the boot, refusing to sit. Refusing to reveal any kind of vulnerability or regret.

Garret remained in the doorway, watching. Unmoving. She pushed past him, his woodsy scent all the more reason to hate him, or at least hate the effect he had on her. She donned her jacket, slipped on her gloves, and tore out the front door.

“It’s too far to walk,” Garret called behind her.

“I’ll take my chances.”

Garret pulled on her arm and whipped her around. Eye level with his chest, she didn’t fail to notice the tension streaming out of every pore of his body. The cords in his neck bulged with each breath. His eyes, a deep, dark, abysmal dye, wouldn’t let her inside his head. Which was a good thing, now that she knew the psychosis of his mental state.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

During my senior year in high school, I was dubbed most likely to write a novel because I always had my nose stuck in a book. I would hide my romance novels under my history book until my teacher called me out on it. Writing has been my dream ever since my mother read Brer Rabbit to my sister and me so often that we were able to recite it back to each other before actually learning to read. I love reading about the adventure of love, and getting involved in the legal field developed my love of suspense. I believe love is a mystery that most people have trouble resolving. While I don’t expect we’ll ever solve that mystery, I love to read and write about characters who work to solve their love’s mystery.

Angela will be
awarding one of three prizes: a car mirror hanger or key chain (a seashell as a
tie-in to her book), an mp3 album by Pretty Little Blisters, a $10 Amazon gift
card, to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and an mp3 album by
Pretty Little Blisters to a randomly drawn host.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

In eight years of marriage, Eric Carlson has never
forgotten to kiss his wife Jessica goodbye—until this morning. As Jessica runs
her errands, all she can think about is the missing kiss. When Eric calls to
tell her he thinks he left the toaster oven on, she rushes home, annoyed and
afraid her house may be burning down. Instead of smoke and flames she finds
Eric, looking hot and sexy as hell as he prepares fresh waffles.

Eric knows he and Jessica have been drifting apart. He’s
bought the hot new product everyone’s talking about—the Spice Rack, guaranteed
to spice up your love life. The jar he opens advises them to “Spend a decadent
day indulging all your senses.” With the whole day ahead of them, a fridge full
of tempting treats and the house to themselves for a change, that’s exactly
what Eric intends to do—in the kitchen, on the washing machine, wherever the
mood strikes. And Jessica’s got a super-steamy surprise for him too.

A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance
from Ellora’s Cave

Excerpt from DECADENCE:

He didn’t even kiss me goodbye. Jessica knew it was silly to get upset over something so minor, but she couldn’t help it. In the eight years they’d been married, she couldn’t remember another morning when Eric had forgone the farewell kiss. Sure, the kids were running amok, a sea of backpacks and lunchboxes, but that was normal. Eric saying goodbye with a wave was not.

“See you later.” He’d thrown her his trademark sexy grin. She’d stood still for a few seconds, holding the door open as the kids piled out of the house, waiting. And…nothing.

While queued in the drop-off line at the elementary school, she flipped open the vanity mirror. She didn’t look like a beauty queen but at least she’d showered. Her skin was clear, her cheeks even a bit rosy from gardening the day before. She grimaced. I should have brushed my hair. Dark hair, wavy and out of control, pulled into a loose ponytail paired with t-shirt and yoga pants. I look like a teenager. Not exactly sexy. Frowning at her reflection, she heard the car behind her honk.

“Mom, pull up, it’s our turn.” Timmy, though only seven, had been a backseat driver for nearly five years.

“Sorry.” She inched the car toward the orange drop-off cone and stopped. “Have a good day, guys. I love you.”

“Love you too, mom,” the chorus of three came from the backseat as they scrambled out the door.

Taking a last quick glance in the mirror, she snapped it shut and eased back into the parking lot. As she was about to turn onto the main road, her cell rang. XXXXX, Eric’s ringtone. She fumbled in her purse and slid the purple case open. Holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder, she pulled onto the street, not wanting to get beeped at a second time this morning.

“Hey, sweetie,” Eric said. “Can you do me a favor?”

Sighing, Jessica shifted to keep the phone in place as she changed lanes. “What’s up?”

“I know you said you were going to the grocery store, but I need you to stop home first. I think I may have left the toaster oven on.”

“Can’t you go check?”

“I’ve got a really important meeting this morning. I need you to do it. Please?” She could hear the smile in his voice. The charming, irresistible smile to which she’d never been able to say no.

“Fine.” Even if you didn’t bother to kiss me this morning.

“Thanks.”

Did he just chuckle?

She hung up and tossed the phone back into her purse. Great. Now I have to go all the way home, which means I won’t get to the store for another hour. Not that it was a huge deal. With all three boys in school this year she had her days to herself. She’d been looking forward to that for years, but it wasn’t as fun and freeing as she’d expected. All the same responsibilities were there. The house still needed to be cleaned, dinner still needed to be made, laundry was always piling up. And she always had a stack of work on her desk. Freelance graphic design was the perfect work-from-home job and she could do it any time of day or night, but lately she felt as though everything was getting away from her. Somehow she’d had more structure to her days when the kids were home than she managed to have with them in school all day.

As she turned onto her block she couldn’t help but look for signs of smoke pouring from her windows. God, I hope he didn’t really leave the toaster oven on. What the hell was he even using the toaster oven for? Eric ate cereal for breakfast, though now that she thought about it she hadn’t seen him pour himself a bowl this morning. She’d been too distracted by the fact that he was wearing only pajama pants as he plodded around the kitchen. She’d been so busy the past few weeks with back-to-school shopping and beginning-of-term projects they’d barely spent any time together. Seeing him bare chested, hair tousled from bed, reminded her that it had been a while. Too long. Her stomach fluttered from a combination of longing for Eric and fear that her house might be burning.

Jessica slammed the door of the minivan shut, breathing in deeply to see if she could catch any hint of smoke in the air. Nothing. As she opened the front door, another scent greeted her instead. The incredibly delightful aroma of…waffles. Why does the house smell like waffles? She rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw the waffle maker on the counter with Eric poised before it, faded jeans slung low on his narrow hips, a t-shirt clinging to his muscular back, dark hair still damp from a shower hanging loosely into his eyes. A wave of heat washed over her, settling between her legs. Her mouth watered from thoughts of more than just a bite of the waffle Eric was lifting out of the grates.

“Perfect timing,” he said, grinning so wide the dimples on his cheeks were positively cavernous. Blue eyes twinkled at her, full of mischief.

“What are you doing?” She tossed her purse onto the counter, mystified.

“Celebrating Mother’s Day.” He plucked a strawberry out of the colander in the sink, swirled it in a bowl of what appeared to be freshly whipped cream, and approached.

“Mother’s Day is in May. It’s October fifteenth.”

“I know.” He held the plump red berry close enough that she felt the gentle brush of cream melting against her lips. “I was thinking it was something we should celebrate more than once a year.”

She curled her tongue around the cream-covered berry and gave a quick suck before biting off a piece.

The moan Eric emitted sent a tremor rolling down her body, making her knees weak. His lips were on hers before she finished chewing. The sweetness of his velvety tongue blended perfectly with the fruit and cream. This was already better than any Mother’s Day she could recall.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends, who never seem to mind the excessive quantities she tends to prepare. She attributes her ability to multitask to the fact that she rarely sleeps, which gives her more hours every day. Prior to deciding to write full time Karen worked as a hand drawn animator, a clinical therapist, and held various food-related jobs ranging from waitress to specialty cake maker. Planning elaborate parties and fundraisers takes up what's left of her time and sanity.

Karen has always been fascinated by the way people relate to one another so she favors books and movies that feature richly detailed characters and their relationships. In her own writing she likes to explore the dynamics between characters and has a tendency to craft romantic tales filled with sarcasm and sexy details. Although she writes in three genres (erotic romance, contemporary romance and women's fiction) all of her stories are love stories with happily ever after endings.

Karen has published several erotic romance novels with Ellora's Cave including two award winning stories: Always You (published September 2011, First Place Winner of the RWA Passionate Plume Award - 2012)Marry Me (published June 2012, First Place Winner in the NEC-RWA Bean Pot Reader's Choice Award - 2013) and Decadence (July 2013).

Her works of women's fiction, Meant To Be, and its sequel, Holding On, (published by Turquoise Morning Press in August and November 2012, respectively) both made the Best of 2012 list at Literati Literature Lovers.

Karen's contemporary romances Then, Again (May 2013) and Leave the Lights On (coming November 2013) are published with Samhain publishing.

To learn more about Karen you can visit her WEBSITE where she blogs original recipes, sassy commentary on The Bachelor, and tidbits about her journey in the writing world. Karen can also be found attempting witty banter on TWITTER.

* * * * GIVEAWAY * * * *

One randomly chosen commenter
will receive a digital copy of his/her choice from Karen's backlist. You can follow the tour and increase your chances of winning, too. The tour dates can be found HERE

Friday, July 26, 2013

Today it's my pleasure to introduce you to the lovely Kayelle Allen and her debut book with Ellora's Cave.

Keeper
of My Pleasure

by Kayelle Allen

Rai
trusts Koo to submit. To keep him, she must trust her heart.

A
Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora's Cave This
book is in the Taboo line -- one of the Ellora's Cave Quickies

A recent college graduate, Koo hires Rai as
his attorney after thieves total his car and then dare to sue him. She wins,
and takes him out to celebrate. Dinner leads to the hottest sex in his life,
and a long-term relationship as her submissive. He adores the way she makes him
feel, and the way she makes him burn. He longs to show her he has more to
offer. He has a heart, and it's hers, if only she'll let him give it.

A successful attorney in her late thirties,
Rai has a penchant for handsome young men with long hair. Koo, her newest client,
becomes more than her usual boy toy. He likes being tied up and whipped, and he
yields the way she'd always dreamed. But he has a future ahead of him, and
she's a jaded lawyer. He wants sex, not love. Right? He wouldn't stay with her
forever. She trusts him to submit. To keep Koo, Rai is going to have trust her
heart.

Excerpt

This scene takes place in Rai Whethen's
estate home. She and Koo Ayakura have spent the evening enjoying dinner,
flirting, anticipating their session, and now it's time for him to perform for
his mistress.

In Rai's bedroom,
Koo stood before her. She'd stretched out on the bed and was watching him,
hands tucked behind her head, legs crossed at the ankles.

"I'm ready to
see you strip, Koo. Do you need music?" She lifted one eyebrow.

"No,
mistress, but if you want music, I'll use it."

"Hmm."
She picked up a remote and pointed it. A dance tune started, and she skipped
it, listened a moment, and skipped again. Two more songs and she turned it off.
"No. I only want you. No distractions. Strip for me." She tucked her
hands behind her head again. Quite unlike her, she added, "Please."

Koo began by
unfastening his hair. Straight, healthy, it reached halfway to his waist, and
shone like raven's wings. He'd inherited it from his Japanese father. His Irish
mother had imparted the splash of freckles across his nose and shoulders, and
grey eyes. Rai liked his hair down, and he ran his fingers through the long
tresses, shook his head, and let it fall.

Rai's eyes
gleamed, and she licked her lips.

He lifted one foot
at a time to unfasten the plain black shoes, and slipped them off, pulling off
each sock. He crossed his arms over his chest, slowly opened them, and pulled
his tuxedo coat down his shoulders. It slipped down his arms, and he caught it,
held it, and then slid it all the way off and tossed it over the hassock.

He reached up to
the front of the vest, unfastened it one button at a time, doing it as slow as
he could, taking care to keep her gaze on his hands. He pulled it open, let it
slip down his arms, and then caught it at his elbows. He crossed his hands over
his chest, hands spread.

Rai pushed herself
up, hands braced on the bed.

Koo opened his
arms, and let the vest fall. He caught it, tossed it after the jacket.

He opened each
button on the shirt with the same slow care. Rai tugged up her skirt, and sat
with legs folded, watching him like a cat in front of a mouse hole.

He opened the
cufflinks, slid them into his pockets, and then shrugged out of his shirt. He
held the collar between his teeth, folded the sleeves, and laid it aside.

Rai chewed on a
knuckle, but didn't speak.

He reached over
his back, pulled off the T-shirt in one move, and cast it onto the pile of
clothes. Bare from the waist up, he tucked his hands behind his head, lifted his
hair, and let it fall over his shoulders. He'd always worked out; he also ran,
and swam. He knew his body pleased women. But the way Rai looked at him, as if
he were a tasty treat she craved... that made this more than a strip show. He
was preparing himself for his lover.

Koo unfastened the
waistband of his trousers, lowered the zipper, and then eased them partway
down.

Where to Buy

Inside
Scoop: Our hero willingly submits to his Dom lady love and all her toys in
their BDSM play, including whips and bindings and more.

About the Author

Kayelle Allen is a multi-published, EPIC Award
winning author. She writes Contemporary Romance, Gay Romance, Erotic Science
Fiction Romance, Mainstream Fantasy, BDSM, and non-fiction. She likes to attend
Science Fiction conventions, and has been a speaker at DragonCon, Outlantacon,
and Gaylaxicon. Kayelle is the founder of the author-mentoring group Marketing
for Romance Writers, and manages the successful Romance Lives Forever blog. She
is a US
Navy Veteran, and founded the graphics and eBook conversion company The
Author's Secret. Kayelle is married to her personal hero, and makes her home in
the southeast.

Monday, July 22, 2013

The hero, Percival arranges a date through a contact mag. He and Darlene have a rapturous scenario, handled with superb finesse and supreme command of the wardrobe. He finds some hints of her complicated past. Before and after the encounter, he is eyed up and accosted by malicious-seeming men. The sense of an underlying hornet’s nest is scary, and immediately detracts from the euphoria, which does finally prevail.

Excerpt:

I envisaged Darlene dressing before her mirror, adoring her own image, caressing her thighs as she drew up her stockings, loving her own image in the mirror, savouring her own fully charged magnetism. I imagined delicious dressing in preparation for delicious undressing – perhaps some feeling in her bones that I might be someone out of the ordinary, or even an additional bonus of doing it with another woman before my eyes.

I, in turn, practiced disrobing in front of my mirror, in subdued light, capturing all the alluring angles, savouring myself under the dream spell of her implicit eyes. I sensed the bleeps of telepathy in operation between us—laser-beamed gazes and breaths of rapture.

I spiced my sensations with my favourite videos. Katy Perry’s Thinking of You and Teenage Dream came to the fore, those graceful balletic of revelation, pulling on the stockings, pulling off the jeans, my hands all over that lithe, tanned form. I washed, ironed, and immersed myself into putting on and taking off all the items in my wardrobe. I even had some limbering up chats on the phone – some alluring voices there, even more magical for their anonymity and their covert location. Those blind rehearsals sharpened the visual and tactile imagination. Some aspects suit complete darkness, others suit subdued light. Maybe at some point, there will be a home video, capturing idyllic trysts indoors and outdoors, two lovers willing themselves into dream perfection…great art is often a substitute or reminder for experience. How much more fulfilling when it is an accompaniment or a backdrop

Friday, July 12, 2013

Ellora's Cave author Helena Harker is here to talk about her newest book, a steampunk novel. Steampunk is a genre that fascinates me because I know it's one I'd never be able to write, so I'll be picking this one up myself!!

Welcome, Helena!!

Thanks for hosting me today. My latest release is
another steampunk book. I love steampunk. Ever since I started writing erotica,
I have been experimenting with different genres: BDSM, contemporary, cougar. I
think I have found my niche in steampunk. I love the inventions, the fashions,
the social rules. I love that I can base my stories on historical fact, and at
the same time I have the freedom to change history any way I choose. There’s a
great sense of adventure and discovery. And a lot of lust and betrayal, in this
case. Camilla is a woman consumed by revenge, so much so that it may prevent
her from finding true love.

The heroines I create tend to be in
a position of power over men. There are a few fem-dom scenes in this novel,
where Camilla exacts revenge—a very special kind of revenge—against men who
betray their wives. I found it very easy to relate to her!

I
came up with the idea for Camilla’s Consequences when I was surfing the net and
came across an article about a sexual blackmailer. I thought that would be a
fabulous premise for a story, to have a woman who is vengeful and blackmails
men who are guilty of adultery.

Bio:

Helena
Harker is a teacher by day, writer by night, a daydreamer who loves to escape
to other worlds. Her fiction is populated by strong men, passionate women and
lots of steampunk inventions. In her free time she enjoys photography and
curling up with a good book.

Blurb:

Camilla Covington is a sexual
blackmailer. After a betrayal from her fiancé, she spends her days exacting
revenge against men who are unfaithful. Armed with an iron resolve, her
Panoptoscope and a handbag filled with instruments of castigation, she becomes
a formidable adversary. Her quest for revenge has hardened her heart, but a
small part of her still thirsts for passion and the heat of a man’s touch.

Hephaestus is a skilled
metallurgist who hammers iron into any shape his imagination desires. When
Camilla walks into his forge asking him to repair a pendant, flames of passion
ignite between them. After Camilla receives letters that threaten to expose
her, she seeks his protection as well as his love. However, in order to melt
her heart, Hephaestus must resort to extreme measures to make her see that
pardon, not punishment, is needed for love to grow.

Excerpt:

Hunting
men is a most lucrative occupation, one I enjoy with an ardent passion. As I
wait for Lord Aldridge to exit his tent, I silently curse him for choosing to
pitch his camp in this godforsaken bog. Although we are barely an hour outside
London, it seems I have been transported to the jungles of Borneo. The dank,
moist air wreaks havoc with my curls, my riding boots slip through the mud and
my walking skirt reeks of rotting leaves and mallard droppings.

Silent,
shielded by darkness, I rest my body against the trunk of a tree that leans
precariously over the pond and adjust the lens of the Panoptoscope against my
eye. Motionless against the elm’s rough bark, I blend into my environment.
Although my hiding place is barely ten yards away from Aldridge’s simple canvas
tent, he will never see me.

I aim
the ‘Scope at my quarry and peer through the lens. How magical. My newest,
truly ingenious modification far exceeds my expectations. My contraption allows
me to see in the dark, and for a few moments I imagine myself to be a panther
lurking in the undergrowth, waiting for the perfect moment to ambush my prey.

The
leafless trees appear in various shades of gray, their limbs hanging low,
resembling eerie fingers that reach for the tent. Lantern light glows inside,
and shadowy figures stir within the canvas walls. Lord Aldridge has brought
company. It is not unexpected. After all, Aldridge has many suitors.

All
of whom are male.

Come out, Aldridge. Your judgment awaits. Often, I choose to confront men and punish them for their sins.
It is a good thing that I do, for who else would pass judgment over them and
sentence them for their transgressions? Surely not another man. No, it is a
woman’s duty to judge men and determine whether they should be condemned for
their actions.

Shadows
shift. I catch sight of an arm, a knee, a head. An embrace? I believe so.

Does
Aldridge’s wife know about his philandering? How can she not? After tracking
his whereabouts for weeks, I know how little time he spends at home. How does
she cope with his betrayal? When a man promises to stand by the woman he loves
till death do them part, he should be forever bound by that promise or be
prepared to suffer the consequences.

Monday, July 8, 2013

I’ve been writing fiction on and off since I was in first grade. I
wrote, directed and produced plays in elementary school then moved on to short
stories in high school. I decided to seriously pursue novel writing about two
years ago.

How long have you
been a published author?

I published in non-fiction about eight years ago. My first fiction
novel was released on April 23rd,
2013.

What titles do you
have available?

Training Temptation is my debut novel.

What made you choose
the subject of this book?

A few years ago, I read a novel partially set on a ponygirl ranch. It
was the first time I’d heard of ponygirls and found the fetish fascinating
because it was so unusual. I started to wonder what it would be like to live in
that world and the idea for Training Temptation was born.

Do you have
any new titles coming soon? Will you be venturing into the area of
fiction anytime soon?

My next fiction novel, French Kiss, will be available this Fall,
2013. In French Kiss, Lori, a newly unemployed woman, travels to France to work for an elderly couple and
their sexy but reclusive grandson.

What is your
favourite genre and why?

My favorite genre to read is Romantic Suspense. I love strong, sexy,
protective heroes and a good woman-in-jeopardy story. If someone dies by the end
of the first chapter, I know it’s going to be a good book.

What, to you, is
the most exciting part of the writing process?

I get excited when I have no idea what’s going to happen next. I
start writing with a general idea of major plot points, but once I get into a
scene I follow the character’s led. Sometimes they make a choice I never would
have made but it works.

If you could
co-author a book with anyone, who would you choose and why?

Lisa Jackson because I would love to get a glimpse of her process.
Her books have intricate plots and a lot of characters and I wonder how she
keeps track of everyone over the course of 400 or more pages.

Caught in a web of deceit, Caroline must run the race of
her life to save her family home. Her reputation as the high society owner of
the #1 stable for Ponygirls in the world is on the line. And, there’s only one
man who can help her win.

Edward Hastings is steamy, passionate and
dangerous. With molten brown eyes and a rock hard body, the notorious playboy
could have any woman in the world, but he only wants her. The first time he’d
seen Caroline dressed like a pony, he’d been enthralled. Now, nothing will keep
him from her.

They strike a deal. He’ll train her if she sticks to his
rules. But rules were made to be broken. The moment he slides the bit into her
mouth, she knows she’s in trouble. As he ignites a fire in her body and her
mind, will she make it through the week without losing her heart to him? Or will
she be able to train temptation?

About the Author:

Diana began writing the moment she learned how to hold a
pencil. By elementary school, she was writing and directing plays for kids in
her afterschool program. Over the years, short stories piled up on her
nightstand. At night, she could always be found holding a flashlight and a book
under her blanket.

She studied writing and literature through high school
and into the first two years of college. But then, her fascination with other
cultures and religious practices took over. She has degrees in Cultural
Anthropology and Comparative Religious Studies from San Jose State University
and is published in non-fiction.

After college, her life took an
unexpected turn. She's currently a project manager and technical spec writer for
a Silicon Valley computer company by day and a daring novelist by night. When
she's not tearing up the felt playing at the World Series of Poker, she's
traveling to her favorite Caribbean islands.

About the Book:

Caught in a web of deceit, Caroline must run the race of her life to
save her family home. Her reputation as the high society owner of the #1 stable
for Ponygirls in the world is on the line. And, there’s only one man who can
help her win.

Edward Hastings is steamy, passionate, and dangerous. With
molten brown eyes and a rock hard body, the notorious playboy could have any
woman in the world, but he only wants her. The first time he’d seen Caroline
dressed like a pony, he’d been enthralled. Now, nothing will keep him from
her.

They strike a deal. He’ll train her if she sticks to his rules. But
rules were made to be broken. The moment he slides the bit into her mouth, she
knows she’s in trouble. As he ignites a fire in her body and her mind, will she
make it through the week without losing her heart to him? Or will she be able to
train temptation?